The Queen of Nothing, Jude and Cardan meet again fanfic
by TheDragonWithAPenOfFire
Summary: Jude Duarte, furious after being exiled from her kingdom by the man she loves returns 3 months later to confront him.


The snow was building up thick on the windows as Jude strode into the Throne room. It had been three months since she had seen her pathetic excuse for a husband. He had handed everything to her on a platter and then had taken it all away. She should of known better than to trust him. Trust his poisoned truths and golden kisses. Her face flushed every time she thought of how pathetic she was. How she had enjoyed her time with him and the part of her that still yearnt for more.

He is sat in his usual place, atop the dais, lounging uncaring of kingly expectations on his throne, crown askew. He looked different from the last time she saw him, taking his first steps onto an island of his own creation. She had thought the stories of Mab creating their home from the ocean to be but that. Stories. Never did she think anyone could be powerful enough to shift nature. Even a faerie. Even Cardan. He certainly looked far from that powerful being now.

Dark circles decorated his face and he looked older. Scarily older. His usual bright eyes looked drab and dim, his clothes a mess. He always had the ability to look put together, some princely magic, but it looked like that magic had been taken away from him, along with his will to live. If the current climate said anything about his current state, things were not well. Satisfaction zapped through Jude at the thought that he couldn't do this without her, but she quickly schooled her face and stepped up to the dais.

He looked at her, or more looked through her, studying her for longer than needed through squinted eyes, then heavily sighed, raising his arms up in a fed up gesture.

"I have told you before and I will tell you again Taryn, I will not respond to your fathers threats. He knows nothing about me, and sending you here every week will not persuade me. So get out!" He raised his voice at that last sentence and Jude flinched. He had never been so out of control of his emotions to speak that way. The Cardan she had always known had been cool, calculated, full of charm and in control of everything that passed through his lips. Even when he was as drunk as he was now. Empty wine bottles littered the bottom of his throne, it seemed he had forgone the use of a goblet all together. A part of her had always been scared of Cardan, but never like this, never this much. He was a wreck.

Her stomach clenched with disgust, how could he let himself get like this. He was supposed to be the king! If he didn't want the responsibility he so obviously could not manage, he shouldn't of exiled her. He could of sent for her back and grovelled at her feet until she had had enough of teasing him, and took her rightful place as Queen of Elfame. A title he gave her.

"That's not exactly a warm welcome from a husband to his long suffering wife."

His face paled, "Jude?" he spoke the words as if he never thought he would get to say them again and a mix of shock and relief crossed his face before bright, fiery anger. "You will not trick me again! Leave my sight, or I'll have you hanged for treason. Don't think pretending to be Jude will get you any more out of me. Your father has got more than what he wanted from me, so leave. Now. Before I get you escorted out."

"Oh please. Taryn may be conniving but she'd never pull the same trick twice. Let alone get away with it. And I thought you new me, if you weren't so drunk, you would know it was me from the minute you saw me" Jude spat and strode towards him, up the dais. She didn't know where this sudden confidence had come from, but she liked it.

"Jude. Jude I don't believe it." He shook his head, "I'll say you're putting on quite the act Taryn, but no. Its not you. Its not my- its not Jude."

She had had quite enough of him and had barely been in his presence five minutes. She stopped before him. Uncomfortably close, and bent down with her hands on either side of the thrones armrest. Their breaths mingled and she looked him dead in his lightless eyes. "Get a hold of yourself you prick." And she leant forward and kissed him.

At first Cardan rebuked, like the first time they had kissed in Dain's office, but soon he seemed to recognise the grooves of her lips and gave into her completely, returning with longing and passion. As if he had missed this. Missed her.

Jude pulled away, studying him. Cardan looked like he had seen a ghost, and tears pricked at his eyes. His hands raised up either side of her, and to Jude's surprise, pulled her into his chest, before wrapping his arms around her. He sobbed into her shoulder. "It's you. It's really you isn't it."

"When I said a warm welcome, this is not what I was expecting either. Something more along the lines of me against the remnants of your army."

Cardan chuckled, the sound echoing through her. "Our army Jude. And when was it you that had a way with words and not me."

"The day you decided to be a snivelling, pathetic wreck. Look at you, how could you get like this."

"You should of thought of that before you exiled me." Jude said, taking a step back. "Come on, where's that death you promised me on my return, I've stepped many a feet in faerie. In fact, I did a little dance just to spite you."

That laugh again. "That exile was a farce." Jude's eyebrows bunched together. "How could you not be smart enough to work it out. I know you're a human, but have your years in faerie taught you nothing."

"What on earth do you mean?"

"Jude, you are the crown, you own half of it. As my Queen you can pardon yourself as an when you wish. Otherwise I'm going to have to make you forfeit your life. Forfeit it to me." A fiendish grin. "Oh, but you've already done that haven't you, Queen of Faerie." Jude pushed further back at that. She was not ready for this. For this flirtation again. She didn't like how it made her feel. How it messed with her emotions. She was expecting an all out fight for her right to stand here, not bedroom eyes and this wreck of a King.

"With how you have been ruling there's nothing for me to be queen of. I'm Queen of nothing, and no one. All our people are freezing to death and Madoc is doing as he pleases. He's taken half the continent and you've done nothing about it!" Cardan was silent and studied her with a look Jude couldn't place. "Will you ever forgive me and admit you need me here to rule for you, as per our agreement." Cardan was silent for several more moments before looking up at her and saying.

"I will forgive you, if you ever find it in your human heart to forgive me."

Jude was lost for words, who is this snivelling King who replaced her cruel Prince. Jude took another step back.

Cardan rised from his throne with all the kingly elegance he could muster. "Please Jude, you know I could never deny you. Forgive me for sending you away, I will forgive you for committing treason and you will be my Queen. As promised."

Jude was not in control of the next words that slipped out of her mouth. "I-I forgive you. I've had plenty of time to reflect on it. You did what you could in that moment, so you will realise when I say I did as I had to do when I killed Balekin." Cardan sighed, taking the crown off of his head, "Oh my sweet Jude, how I've missed you." And with that, Cardan walked towards her, placing the crown of Elfhame on her head.


End file.
